This Is Not A FairyTale
by RiverDapple
Summary: Just another story about a pair of very different people who, due to circumstances outside of their control involving mirrors and magic and some very strange clothing cannot be together as they wish. Torin & Izzy -Spell Bound- -DISCONTINUED (sorry) -
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One - I

_I'm not like all those other girls. They think they have it hard fighting over which of their boyfriend's is more attractive than the other, fighting over who has the best haircut, best shade of lip gloss, the best car...the best cat. I don't fight like they do. I fight real battles. I'm only 17 and I've fought many people. I say people ... but I mean things. Werewolves, shape shifters, witches, faeries, demons, vampires...you name it, I've fought it. Except for Ghosts – they don't do anything. Except no I lie, I have fought a ghost. You wouldn't think that would be possible, but it is. As if that wasn't bad enough, I'm also in love with a guy who should have dies 500 years ago but didn't. No, instead he did something really clever – he got himself trapped. In a mirror._

_Yeah he's that clever guy and he knows it – but he thinks I'm being serious when I tell him he's clever. He's one of those guys you just want to hate but can't because he's so God damn attractive! I just don't get. It's not fair!_

_I don't have time to worry about it though. I just have to accept it. I mean all the time I would have spent trying to change my own mine, I've spent patrolling. Yeah that's as boring as it sounds. You walk around an invisible wall all day every day trying to make sure 'the Prodigium' don't get in. But it's not that big of a deal. My cousin Sophie? She's head of the council, okay; she is in charge of the Prodigium. They wouldn't dream of attacking us anymore. Mum wonders why they've given up. I kind of want to hit her with a brick sometimes – it's pretty obvious._

_I'm Izzy, by the way. Izzy Brannick. Yes, yes I'm a Brannick. Yes I am ginger. No, you don't need to mention it to my face because yes, I will hit you. Torin laughs about it all the time. It's stupid really – I let him mock me for it, not anyone else. I dunno – maybe it's because he's trapped in a mirror and I can't actually hit him? Maybe it's because of his hotness? I don't know, I don't know and I don't understand. I don't know if I want to understand, really. Another thing I don't know – or understand – is why I'm writing this down. I'm sitting here in the forest that surrounds the great big camp that we call home with my back to a tall pine tree breathing in the pungent odour, writing in this little grungy old notebook. It did once have a blue cover but now it's just a sort of washed-our, grey colour and the pages are all crumpled and bent but ... whatever! It's still paper, and I feel the need to write things down. Although God forbid if anyone outside of my family ever heard about this! Even Sophie doesn't know although I think she suspects. About Torin and me, I mean. She'd probably just use the information to manipulate me, like everyone else does. Although, they use it to manipulate Torin as well – to make sure he never tries to leave the mirror. If he does, he'd never see me again. They like to play him; he's their plaything. He's useful for them. But he hates it; he hates it in the mirror! I mean, he's lived in it for 500 years, after a spell gone wrong! I told you he was clever._

"Izzy!" At the sound of Finley's voice, Izzy shoved the notebook back into the hole in the tree where she had stashed it away years ago. She'd only found it this morning, half full of childish drawings. She had yet to discover why she'd decided to sit down and write about her life.

"What?" she called back, standing and brushing the dirt and bark off her bum.

"Oh, you are out here," Finley rounded a corner and stopped, observing her sister with narrowed eyes. "Mum said you went to patrol the forest. Why are you not patrolling?"

"I, uh..." frantically, Izzy tried to think up an excuse. "I was just looking at the ... sky. From the ground. Through the trees. It's very, urm, pretty..." she trailed of feebly as Finley's expression changed from confused to pissed off.

"Jesus, Izzy! Torin is having such a bad influence on you! Who cares about the sky?" She took a step closer and grabbed one of Izzy's arms, shaking it like the arm of a limp rag doll.

"I'm sorry!" Izzy snapped, pulling her arm out of her sister's grip and shoving at her. "God, calm down! I'll finish the fucking patrol, alright?" Looking down, she saw the fat blade of Demonglass tucked into her waistband. Finley was too slow to stop Izzy reaching over and snatching it.

"Run away home to Mummy and your precious swords. I can deal with his patrol!"

"You bi -" Finley didn't have time to finish her insult because by then Izzy had disappeared from the fuming, wielding the Demonglass like a dagger and fuming.

"Sometimes, I hate her!" Izzy announced to the boundary as she prowled, glancing left and right as was customary. "I mean we used to get on fine, but now it's like she's out for my blood!" Izzy supposed she knew why her sister had been in such a bitchy mood lately. Their mother Aislinn would soon be naming who would take over the Brannick trade when she passed away, and Finley had somehow got it into her head that Izzy was going to be chosen. That was stupid, of course. Izzy had become much more used to dealing with Prodigium since the battle at Hex Hall. After all, her own cousin was a demon, and she was on first name terms with Archer and Jenna who were a warlock and a vampire, respectively. None of those three had ever tried to harm her (not counting the Sophie/Elodie attack right at the beginning when Sophie had appeared on the ground, half-unconscious and in the process of being possessed by a crazy ghost. Izzy didn't want to fight Prodigium anymore and that irked Finley. She was still as anti-magic as ever. It was hard, sometimes, for her to refrain from killing Sophie! Or at least that was what Izzy suspected. She finished the patrol, tense, and then returned to the house. Finley and she both tried to get through the front door at the same time. Izzy ignored her sister and instead walked into the kitchen.

After fixing herself a bowl of microwave rice and checking Aislinn was nowhere to be found, she crept into the War Room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two - Z

_It's raining now. Well it's not raining , it's spitting...drizzling, whatever you want to call it. Like a really heavy mist just drifting to the ground – but it's making me very wet. I'm sitting up the tree this time instead of at the bottom so Finley can't catch me at it. I have an umbrella that I've wedged into a gap between two branches and I'm just writing in this notebook diary thing because I kind of don't know what else to do in my time. So perhaps I'll just...talk about my life. I mean my life is the reason why I'm feeling so confused. But isn't that the only reason anyone ever feels confused? Because of something in their life? But I'm just talking myself in circles now. Or writing myself in circles – but it feels like I'm talking and now I'm getting so off-topic from what I was trying to say ... circles...circles...I was talking myself in circles about confusion, and I guess, well, it all comes back to Torin in the end, doesn't it? _

_Yesterday I went to see him again. I haven't been in a few days cause, you know, Finley being Finley and I didn't want to have to deal with her claws out and so I avoided him. But of course he KNEW that and it was just bad and awkward at first. Everything is always awkward with Torin because he's such an awkward person! He's so... awkward but... I just... I have to hesitate while I write because I don't really know what to say. I don't... I can't put words to how I feel._

_Perhaps I should just recount what happened with Torin yesterday. That would help. I mean, there's a reason I'm up this tree! There has to be some sub-conscious feelings and that must be because I want to talk about Torin. The pages of the diary can't see me of course but if they could they would I've a very determined look on my face. I got if from my mother, that expression, it's a very Brannick expression. A rather twisted version of it can always be found on Finley's face._

_So, anyway, with Torin – I had a bowl of microwave rice because, I dunno, it's my favourite and I know carbs are bad and I have to work a lot harder at training to burn it all off but..._

_Anyway, I went in there with my microwave rice and I put it on the table in the war room. I pulled off that blanket that covers the mirror and he was asleep. Torin, I mean. He was sitting on the table, propping himself up with one arm and part of his hair was covering his eyes so I couldn't see them. But I knew he was sleeping. It may sound kind of creepy to say I just sat and watched him for awhile with my bowl of rice but it's so rare to see him peaceful. Because he's never peaceful. Not when he's talking to us, not when he's seeing the future. He's not even peaceful in his own mind because he's stuck. _

_He's very very stuck. _

_Eventually of course I had to wake him up. I tapped on the glass with my knuckles and said:_

"_Wake up, lazy!"_

_He sort of rolled around for awhile – well of course he didn't actually roll he just sort of flopped about from side to side and then he pushed his hair out of his eyes and said "I am not lazy! I was just asleep!"_

"_Why are you sleeping in the middle of the day anyway?" I said to him as I continued to consume my rice. Torin shrugged._

"_It is not as if I have anything better to do with my time. Besides, you have not been to visit me of late." He gave me the evil eyes that he usually uses on Mum._

"_Oh, come on Torin! It's not like I'm OBLIGED to see you," I said and I gave him the evil eyes too. It's not like I have to go and see him. I mean, it's not like we're officially dating or anything. How can we be, when he's stuck in a mirror?_

"_No, but I have missed you,"_

"_No modern guy would actually admit that, Torin!" I said._

"_But I'm not modern-"_

"_You would have to be if you somehow one day managed to break out of that bloody mirror!"_

_Yes, I was being a bitch but, God; he's just so...aggravating! He pushed his out of the way and looked into my eyes which is always half disconcerting and half ... kind of makes me feel like I'm going to faint. And then he said confusingly:_

"_I will," So I said "You mean Sophie will break you out?"_

_Torin then said "I've seen it. In the future,"_

"_When?" I meant of course when had he seen it, how soon in the future not when had he had this little prophecy thing._

"_Soon," What the hell? What the hell does that mean?_

"_Oh come on Torin," I said "Why do you have to be so mysterious all the time?" I'm not someone who usually speaks my feelings. As a Brannick, I'm not supposed to have feelings, or at least that's what Finley would have me believe. But yeah that's why it was kind of weird what I said next._

"_Do you know how hard this is for me, having to pretend I care about 'saving the world' from 'monsters'," I added emphasis with my fingers "When all I really care about is the one thing that I have been brought up to destroy?"_

_Cheesy? Yes probably, but true. _

"_I could say that it is harder for me," Torin snapped. "I have been living behind a pane of glass, trapped for more than 500 years in the houses of people who, had I been free, would most definitely kill me!" I just stared at him – he looked back at me. Have I mentioned in here, yet, how truly attractive Torin is? He has long blonde hair – it's shaggy and flippy and has a tendency to sit over his eyes. He has very dark brown eyes and pale skin and the most beautiful hands. Really. Pianist's hands – or at least what I imagine pianists hands look like, from the descriptions that I've read in books. He has an accent, English, quite strong. I think he came from the area around where Manchester is now. I opened my mouth to argue with him, but he put a hand up to stop me._

"_Please, stop. Do not fight with me, Izzy. I do not want to fight with you," That's what he said and then of course he had to do the hand thing. For years, ever since Torin and I kinda fell for each other, we've done this hand thing. We can't really hold hands, obviously, so we just sort of touch hands. He could hold hands with my reflection because my reflection is in the mirror but my reflection isn't really me... It sounds confusing when I try to write it... but like... Oh I know what I mean. And so does Torin, which is the important thing. He puts his hand against the glass and I put my hand against the glass and we stand – not forehead to forehead because then my breath fogs up the glass. It happened once and it was really funny Torin thought it was him and he tried to wipe it away and oh it was cute. _

_I still wanted to know what Torin had been going to say, though._

"_Then can you tell me what will happen? When you escape, I mean?"_

_Torin sighed but didn't move his hand. "I am unsure. I will be freed...soon. I am unsure of the exact date... but also..." Torin stopped talking and bit his lip hard. His fingers flexed, curled under into a flattened fist. I've Torin all my life and I know that's what he does when he's feeling stressed._

"_Tell, Torin," I curled my fingers to match Torin's and he grimaced. For about the millionth time in my life I wished I could hold his hand for real._

"_You will become estranged from some of your family, Izzy,"_

"_Aren't I already?" Mum and Finley already seemed to hate me enough._

_Sitting here now up this bloody tree kind of proves that though, eh? I'm hiding from my sister because I don't her to judge me like the bitch she is._

"_Yes this is true but, Izzy, but Finley and Aislinn love you although they may not show it with blatant affection," That alarmed me a little. Not knowing that they love me obviously, but the idea that they may one day stop loving me._

"_Yu mean they won't love me?" That's what I asked Torin._

"_I think not," That was his reply._

"_What the hell else could possibly happen?" I asked and I might have raised my voice. Maybe. Just a little._

"_My escape," Torin said simply._

"_And to think all this estrangement shit only happens because you decided to share your little marriage prophecy,"_

"_I try," Torin and his stupid crooked smile._

"_Whatever!"_

"_Izzy?"_

"_Yes?"_

_And then Torin asked me if, when he was free, whether or not I wanted to come back to the UK with him. I said yes of course. But now I think about it that kind of adds to this prophesised estrangement thing, if, as soon as Torin gets out from the mirror – which let's be honest is a concept I'm still trying to get around – we run away to the UK. But like... I dunno. Life is hard._

When Izzy returned to the house from the forest, she was summoned straight into the war room by Aislinn. The cloth was over Torin's mirror, and Finley was leaning against the edge of it.

Izzy sat on the corner of the table.

"What's up?" she asked. Aislinn sighed and rolled her shoulders back.

"Sophie and Grace are coming for a visit tomorrow,"

"And that's why you've called up in for a chat?" Finley asked. "Because I was hoping that for once in three years we might actually be doing something productive?"

"Be quiet Finley," Aislinn snapped. "You know there are no-"

"THEN WHY ARE WE STILL HERE?" Finley was yelling now, and Izzy, alarmed, slid off the table.

"Jeez, Finley, way to be any louder!"

"No but seriously," Finley pointed at Aislinn. "The entire point of the Brannick family is that we fight against the scum of Prodigium and now Sophie has saved the mother-fucking world, Prodigium are all things good?"

"We can't exactly –"

"Oh don't lie to yourself mum. We're a joke now," Finley stormed off and Aislinn and Izzy both stared after her.

"She's just like you," Izzy said.


	3. Chapter 3

((Short chapter cause of reasons :3 ))

Chapter Three – Z

_I just don't understand why we, as a family, can't just be...normal._

Izzy tried to think of something more to write on the page, but her one sentence seemed to get to the crux of the matter. Her family had never been normal, of course. Ever since she had been born she had been trained to fight – and above all to be loyal to her family. God protect the Brannick's of Ireland. Of course, things were much more complex now. Izzy positioned her feet just so and jumped from the tree. She dropped the metres faster than felt possible. As she landed she followed across onto her shoulder and pulled her arm through, following across into a complicated roll that absorbed her weight and made landing after a drop from great heights effortless. Standing, she brushed herself down to remove all the clumps of grass and clumps of bark. As she began the walk began, she removed a twig from her semi-curly and permanently frizzy red hair. She also pondered the stasis that had settled upon her family. Finley and Aislinn and she were trapped in a weird bubble – they couldn't go out and fight Prodigium because Sophie was the head of all Prodigium. As a Brannick, they were also loyal to her and they couldn't do anything to harm her which would undoubtedly happen if they went and destroyed Prodigium. But then again... hunting down Prodigium was what the Brannick family did best and, in a way, they were renouncing their family buy NOT hunting Prodigium. Confusing much?

Izzy opened the front door and closed it quietly behind her, locking it with only one bolt. Part of her silver nail polish chipped off as it came into contact with the chain.

"Shit," Shit fuck damn," Izzy swore under her breath perhaps a little more colourfully than was necessary for a bit of chipped nail polish. "And I only put that on this morning!" to add further insult to injury.

Bitterly, Izzy realised that she had all the time in the world to apply fresh coats of nail polish.

"There you are, Isolde," Aislinn was on her way down the wide flight of stairs as Izzy was making her way up.

"Hello, Mum,"

"Izzy, go get me the records from that...Nest raid. You know the one," from Aislinn's sour expression Izzy could easily guess which Nest raid Aislinn was speaking of.

"Yes, mum," Izzy turned and hightailed. Why Aislinn wanted the records from the raid that had killed every other Brannick, Izzy had no idea. But whatever the reason was, it couldn't be good. Izzy's shoes squeaked as she turned into the war room, squeaked again as she knelt on the cold floor and reached under the table.

"Izzy?" Torin spoke from his mirror, voice muffled from behind the cloth covering his mirror.

"Not now, Torin!"

"Very well," To people growing up in modern times saying 'very well' might sound sarcastic, but coming from the mouth of Torin it was the same as saying 'Okay'. Having located the thin file, Izzy started upstairs again. Aislinn was sitting in the small study, poring over some old letter. She heard Izzy but didn't acknowledge her daughter in any other way except to hold out her hand. Wordlessly, Izzy deposited the file. Aislinn placed it on the desk. Izzy knew she was dismissed but still she hovered for a moment, shifting her weight.

"Why do you need that" Izzy asked suddenly.

"Research," Aislinn replied, not missing a beat. Izzy was tempted to roll her eyes and say 'no shit' but instead, resisting, she turned and went back downstairs.

When Sophie and Grace arrived that evening, they brought Archer with them. Izzy greeted him politely; hugged Grace and Sophie, and they all entered the war room together. Finley was lounging awkwardly on the sofa, Aislinn standing rigid against the wall. Grace joined her sister although neither spoke to one another.

"So y'all probably guessed I was here for a reason," Sophie began in what Izzy guessed was a half-attempt to fill the awkward silence. Archer leaned across and whispered something in her ear. She smiled and then hit him, hard, in the chest. He grinned.

"Look," Sophie walked around the table so that she was standing directly in front of Torin's mirror. "I understand y'all are in a hard place, due to trying to honour your family and, um, trying to kill us all -" The 'us' was natural for Sophie. She had been Prodigium for longer than she had been a Brannick and it would always be far more natural for her to be one of them than one the Brannick's. Izzy supposed that was just another reason life was so complicated.

"I have a proposition," Sophie continued. "I propose that ... that you all join with the Council,"


	4. Chapter 4

((Sorry for the lack of updates of late – I'm a lazy-ass mofo and couldn't be bothered typing up the chapter 'til now xD))

Chapter Four - Y

_Well of course as soon as Sophie said that, mum just says no. Straight up. And Finley agreed with her but I... well to be honest I reckon they're not looking at the big picture. We haven't done anything in two whole frickin' years and Sophie, she comes to us with this proposal that could allow us...it could allow us to actually do something! It could help us to be useful again and well...damn Mum and Finley of course they had to turn it down straight away. It goes against the Brannick ideals. And then of course everyone just started FIGHTING! I just sat in the corner and I didn't take sides. I've learnt enough to know when to be diplomatic round here. Mum would probably murder me if she knew I actually ... wanted t join with the Council. Wow. Feels weird admitting that. Sophie tried to explain what she wanted us to do - work security details, deal with problem Prodigium - bring them in for investigation or t be killed or some shit, Sophie didn't go into much detail there. But God, it's so...irritating! I am so sick of Mum and Finley and their stupid stubbornness! I sort of feel like screaming right now out of frustration! My pen has actually torn through the paper a few times here because I'm shoving it hard but just ... GOD! Anyway. Back to my recount. I looked around and saw Archer sitting in his corner, examining the floor and looking slightly freaked out. No fucking wonder. I dunno why he even agreed to come. But I just got so mad and that anger hasn't faded yet - I think in books, this is the part where people admit they're sorry about what they did, but I'm not sorry. Not sorry at all. I legit stood up and just screamed at the top of my lungs "SHUT UP! COULD ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" It hurt my throat. Everyone turned and gave me this look. It felt...I dunno...liberating? I've always, I guess, wanted to be like those amazing fearless characters in books. For once in my life I felt like I was as kick-ass as them. Something about having everyone, Archer included, staring at me like a werewolf in headlight made me feel like, well, a BAMF. Of course them Mum opened her mouth with this outraged expression on her face. I suppose she was probably going to yell at me, but I just... oh. Look at it my way, okay? All my life I have been what I have been told to be, if that makes sense. My family is feisty, but its a trait shared by all. It was ... I think lovely would be the right word, actually, to just let it out and be THE feistiest, for once. So yeah then I just walked out of the room and came here to my tree._

_When you think about it I guess I kind of am kick-ass. I mean, I'm a demon hunter. But it's not as fun or as cool as people might think. It's lonely. I have to spend all my time with my family, and my family are people who I don't like all that much. I love mum and I love Finley but as a Brannick it's tough love._

_I used to suffer a lot when I was young because I had no friends. I was hard-hearted, too, until Torin. I guess it's because he loves me unconditionally, you know? And also he knows so many random things he's interesting and fun to chat to. But I just it gets hard. He's in a mirror! I'm not! Oh but wait, I got distracted. Okay so I walked out of the fight and I just ran out here to the tree. This is where I am now, writing because it makes me feel better. I'm not angry anymore. I'm just impassive about the whole big fight although of course I_

Izzy didn't get to finish her thought. She heard a twig snap, and instantly she won alert. Working quickly, She shoved her notebook back into the crook of the tree, into the plastic bag that was conveniently placed within the hollow. Izzy had rigged it so that the notebook could slide into the plastic to protect it from damage without any telltale rustling. Izzy crouched on the branch, balancing on the tips of her toes, oh high alert. Her back was pressed to the trunk of the tree.

"Izzy?" Sophie emerged from underneath the bough on one side of the tree. Izzy relaxed, blowing out a tense breath.

"Oh hey Sophie," she called down. Bracing her feet against the bough she was crouching on, Izzy timed her jump and leapt into open space on the other side of the tree from her cousin. As usual she landed in a roll. Picking herself up and brushing herself down quickly she straightened. Sophie was watching her with wide eyes.

"How did you even land that?" she asked.

"Practise,"

"Oookay," Sophie knotted her fingers and stretched, clicking her back. "Allow me to admire your extremely badass argument-stopped earlier,"

"I've never done that before," Izzy snorted anxiously. "I do actually feel quite badass,"

"Of course the fight didn't stop there," Sophie sighed, rolling her eyes. "Come. Walk," Izzy fell into step beside Sophie and they began an amble towards the outer perimeter of the property. Sophie had changed a lot since they had first met - she was a bit more mature now, more worrisome but also, oddly, more free. She was definitely more free when it came to her tongue and Archer's.

"I actually have a bit of a proposal for you too," she said.

"A different one to the disasterous proposal you put before us all this morning?" Izzy asked shrewdly.

"Uh, yeah, obviously," Sophie giggled. It sounded nervous. "But I actually have a question too?"

"Oh yeah?" Izzy was on guard somewhat. "Shoot,"

"Okay," Sophie skittered in front of Izzy, raising her hand to stop her slightly taller cousin from walking any further. "What the hell id going on between you and Torin?"

Izzy blinked and Sophie rambled on. "Because way back during the 'evil Casnoffs are going to take over the world' thing, everyone kept talking about you two real weirdly and making these crazy references and I always kind of wondered..."

Sometimes, Izzy forgot Sophie wasn't a permanent Brannick, and thus didn't know about the whole 'Izzy and Torin are destined to be together, let's blackmail them' thing.

"Well, it's because of a prophecy," Izzy had told the story to herself many times. It was flowing out now like a novel she was penning with spoken words.

"When I was 13, Torin came out with this weird prophecy that we were destined to be in a romantic relationship. You know Torin and his prophecies well enough - the future is subject to change and one prophecy may not be true, in the end," Sophie nodded.

"But of course Torin being Torin didn't actually tell Mum and Finley and I that part 'til later. Well he only told me actually and by that time I was kind of in love with him already so that didn't really have much effect. Anyway the first time he came out with that whopper Mum just flipped her shit. She hoped it would be a big fat lie but it wasn't. I remember the night after that stupid Prophecy came out, I crept downstairs to talk to Torin. I wanted to know if it was true."

"It was, right?"

"Yeah."

"So are you and Torin, like, dating?" Sophie asked. Izzy sighed. To avoid answering she meticulously scraped her red hair into a high ponytail. At last she replied:

"It's pretty hard to date a guy who's been trapped inside a mirror for 500 years,"

"But as far as dating can go, I mean, you are in a 'romantic relationship'?" Air quotes.

"I just really, really wish I could kiss the fucking guy!" Upon realising that she'd actually spoken aloud, Izzy clapped both hands her mouth.

"Oh my God, did I just say that out LOUD?"

Sophie laughed gleefully.

"OMG, yes, you did. High five," Tentatviley, Izzy smacked Sophie's hand. "But no, fair enough. He'd be pretty hot it he didn't put on airs of being evil all the time,"

Feeling daring, Izzy said with a casual shrug "What can I say? I like bad boys,"

Sophie cackled again. "You go, girl. Wait - did I just say that?"

Both of them laughed this time. Izzy felt at ease which was something that she rarely felt.

"Okay no but seriously," Sophie tossed her hair and fought to keep a straight face. "Would you - and Torin - come and walk for The Council if I found a way to bring Torin out of the mirror?"

"Wait what?" Izzy stared at Sophie in blank shock. Bring Torin out of the mirror? Images filled her head. She and Torin had discussed, many times, what they would do if Torin ever escaped from the mirror. They would hold hands for real. Izzy could finally kiss him. She would be able to show him the changed world... but...

"I would love to," she said, and she meant it. "But Finley and Mum would never allow it. Torin is their best asset and they use me to keep it so, and vice versa. If you brought him out of the mirror, they;d probably lock me in a cellar or something to get Torin to do what they want,"

"Seriously?" Sophie frowned. "They don't seem like the type of people who would do that,"

"Sophie," Izzy said, and her voice was solemn. "No offense, but you really don't know anything about this family."


	5. Chapter 5

I am a horrible person for making you all wait this long for the next chapter. Feel free to shoot me :L

:3

* * *

Chapter Five - L

Sophie, Grace and Archer left straight away. As Izzy slipped back into the house, she felt the atmosphere of tension. She wondered if Sophie and Grace would ever actually be welcome here again - but of course they would. When Grace had run off with James, Aislinn had been the only one who stood by her. For Aislinn, family was everything. In a way that made it almost worse.

"Isolde?" Aislinn called from the war room.

"Crap," Izzy said under her breath. She pivoted on her heel and strode into the doorway wearing an act of nonchalance. "Yes?"

"Sit," Aislinn's eyes were narrowed, her lips thinner than usual.

"I'd rather stand," Izzy said, cocking her head to the right. Her mouth felt very dry.

"Oh for God's sake Isolde you're becoming even pricklier than Finley. Just sit down!" Aislinn snapped, her voice turning to yell. Izzy was somewhat alarmed. Feeling behind her for a chair, she sat.

"Oh hey mum, I don't appreciate you calling me prickly," Finley growled from her seat across the room. She was sitting with her legs crossed one over the other and her arms folder tightly. Her hair was in the usual tight pony-tail.

"Deal with it, Finley. We have some important things to discuss," Izzy and Finley glanced at each other - united for once- and stayed silent. Aislinn started to pace, her heavy combat boots thumping quietly against the threadbare carpet.

"You were all here before. You heard what...Sophie," the name came unwillingly to Aislinn's lips. "said earlier. She wants us to join with the council. I'e been thinking recently and I've finally come to a conclusion."

Izzy waited. Ideas were chasing themselves around in her head as to Aislinn'a 'idea', and none of them were very good. She sat very still, making a mental inventory of herself. Faded camo pants, clingy black tank top, worn grey cardigan. Tightly laced combat boots over thick woolen socks. If she were to shift slightly, she would feel the faded strands of a leather bracelet rub against her left ankle.

"We need to get back into action," Izzy blanched, Finley grinned.

"We've become too soft. I've let family loyalty despite transgressions go on for too long. We need to re-create a name for ourselves."

"But, Mum..." Izzy couldn't hold back the protests. Aislinn rounded on her, eyes blazing.

"You count in that too, Isolde. We've put up with your soft soul for too long. You're going to do as I say, or I'll smash Torin and his mirror and you'll never see him again,"

Izzy reeled backwards in her seat.

"You...I..."

"Save it," Aislinn held up a lined hand. "I don't care about your protests. Man up." Turning on her heel, Aislinn marched to the head of the table. "Whether it re-starts the war or otherwise, I have a plan." She drew from underneath a tattered map of downtown Manhattan a selection of smaller maps.

"What are we doing? What's the plan?" Finley bounded to her feet. There was a fire in her eyes now, a spark. Aislinn allowed a small smile for her eldest daughter.

"I've devised a nest raid. I re-read all the notes from that Nest raid that went so badly wrong. We'll start small, blitz them..."

Izzy zoned out, somewhat. It was funny to think that she used to be into this kind of thing. She was weighing everything up in her mind, but she also felt like being sick. If she didn't go along with it, she had no doubt that Torin's mirror would be smashed. If she just waited it out, maybe Sophie would be able to find a way to break Torin out?

"Izzy!" Aislinn yelled. Izzy looked up, startled.

"What do you want?"

"Do you ever listen to a word I say?" Aislinn sneered.

"I do -"

"Good. Then take off that blanket. I need to talk to Torin." Izzy leapt to her feet. Pivoting was a skill of hers it seemed - she turned sharply on her toe and drew away the sheet covering Torin in one smooth flourish. He was sitting on the table, glaring out directly at Aislinn.

"Well, Torin?" Aislinn cocked her head to one side. "Will we succeed?" Torin shook his head stubbornly.

"I refuse to help you any longer," he scowled. "You cannot leave peace alone,"

"No?" Aislinn pouted. In a movement quicker than a viper, she darted sideways and grabbed Izzy's arm, yanking her backward. Her hip hit against the table hard as she flipped backwards. In moments she was pressed hard against her mothers unforgiving form with a shiny silver blade at her throat. Everything slowed down to a heartbeat.

Aislinn was glaring at Torin.

"I will kill her, Torin," Izzy didn't dare turn her head.

"I know you will," Torin sounded calmer than expected. "You will murder her and then destroy me if I refuse to do as you order,"

"Too right I will,"

"Just participate, Torin," It was Finley who spoke this time. Izzy couldn't see her either. All she could see was the fly-spotted ceiling.

"I intend to. Let her go,"

"Not until you give me the answers I want, Torin,"

His sigh was audible even to Izzy.

"Yes, your plan will succeed. You will slaughter five vampires, and return home drunk on your success and filled with childish plans to kill again,"

"Thank you, Torin,"

The blade was removed from her throat. Having been in many a situation before when she was in imminent danger of death, Izzy straightened at once. She allowed herself to press a hand to her throat as she gazed at Torin. He was avoiding her eye.

"You can talk to him as much as you want, Izzy. For now. Analyse our plans. We leave at daybreak," Aislinn swept from the room, following by a slightly more hesitant Finley.

Only once they had gone did Torin look up.

"Torin, are you sure you'll escape?" Izzy blurted. He nodded darkly.

"Oh yes. You will see Sophie again very soon. It will not be long now - but Izzy?"

"Yeah?" Izzy spat bitterly.

"As of now, the estrangement has essentially begun,"

* * *

As the faint tendrils of pink tickled the dark blue underbelly of the night sky, the trio set off. All were dressed in unassuming navy's and dark green's. Izzy's hair was tied in a tight bun, pinned into place underneath a fedora.

Finley was wearing a jaunty bowler. The hat was something they had established a while back. They kept the hair out of the face but could be unpinned in an instant to temporarily blind an attacker. The familiar cold resolve of battle had already set in for Izzy. To her distress, it wasn't as difficult to bring back the detachment as she had hoped.

They walked to the nearest train station and hopped aboard the train headed for Los Angeles. They wouldn't ride it that far, of course.

They'd be stopping in Oklahoma, in a town called Savoy. They would stay there a night, to scout out the nest. The next day at high noon, the attack would begin. Aislinn would take the upstairs, Izzy and Finley the downstairs. Hopefully, it would be clean and quick. Izzy was silent on the train. She'd brought a cheap paper back that she could throw out on arrival. It took her all the way there to read. Once the train had stopped and the three of them had stepped onto the platform of a bleak concrete station, Izzy tossed the book onto the tracks. Within seconds it was gone. Behind the train trailed a feeble selection of squashed white pages. It entrances Izzy, in a way. That was a world, down there. A world of words. A world of history, of feeling hopes and dreams. All was scattered to the wind beneath a train. How unforgiving.

"Hurry up, Izzy!" Finley called over her shoulder. Izzy turned and followed.

Night fell quickly. Before dusk coloured the sky, the three of them were already positioned in various locations around the nest. Izzy was up a tree down the street. Bent so that she was almost doing the splits up amongst the thin branches at the top, she had a good view across to the nest. Hours ticked by with no occurrence, until at last someone moved. The door opened. A tall woman who looked to be in her mid forties exited and shut the door carefully behind her. Izzy gripped her stake tighter. It was metal tipped and a deadly weapon. She was under strict instruction to attack if the vampire attempted to drink from a human. The vampire walked very slowly. Suddenly an engine backfired one street over. In a simultaneous reaction the vampire down behind a trash can, and Izzy slid down a few branches so that she was hidden deep in the foliage. After a few moments Izzy heaved herself upright again. The vampire was exactly parallel with Izzy''s tree now, and she was walking on.

Izzy was thankful for the densely tree'd street. She climbed down a few boughs and then jumped, tensing her muscles and relaxing them as she landed to roll across the branch almost silently. She climbed quickly to the top again. The vampire was loitering at the street corner, carefully positioned behind a tree. Izzy stayed still and silent, watching. She was beginning to get a shrewd idea as to what was going. In the distance, a car engine could be heard. The lights appeared as thin pinpricks. The vampire readied herself.

Izzy knew what she had to do. She leapt out wide, into the street. As she landed she rolled, reaching under to land at her feet. The vampire hadn't noticed, primed as she was at the car. She began to move, stepping and away and back. Izzy guessed that she planned to throw herself at the car and then when the human emerges, shell-shocked, to make sure she was alright, she would attack. Still kneeling, Izzy drew her arm back. In a rush of adrenalin, she threw the stake.

It was over in moments. The car whizzed past, the vampire collapsed. Izzy sprinted over and kicked her hard. She didn't move. Knowing that their plan was now seriously compromised, Izzy withdrew the stake and then shoved it down again hard. Once satisfied that she was dead, Izzy tucked her stake back into her back pocket and picked up the feet of the vampire. A few hundred metres away was a small lake. It was hard work, dragging the body that far, but it didn't take very long. Izzy rolled the body in, and then ran.

Almost as soon ad she returned to her tree, the door to the nest opened. Three more vampires emerged, one by one. They stood, talking. Bending almost double, Izzy peered closer. Two of them were men, the other a very young woman. She looked to be in her early twenties but she couldn have been even younger. As Izzy watched, she saw a faint movement to the left on the house. Aislinn was hidden behind the curve of the stairs. Holding her breath, Izzy watched. Within the space of roughly three seconds, the youngest vampire had a stake in her chest, and Aislinn was atop another brandishing the same stake. For the second time the evening, Izzy rolled out of her tree and took aim with her stake. Unfortunately, however, this time she missed. Filled with a rush of adrenalin, she leapt to her feet as the other vampire, who, momentarily had been focused on Aislinn. He snatched the stake that had bounced off the wall and took off at a run towards Izzy. Turning tail, Izzy ran. She didn't have to run far, however. Finley reared up ahead of her and threw. Izzy turned in time to see the third vampire collapse dead.

"We have to burn the house now," Finley said darkly. Izzy didn't even need to speak to agree. Silently, the sisters lifted the body of the third vampire and dragged it into the house.

"The fifth?" Aislinn asked as they made it inside.

"Done," said Finley, and Aislinn nodded.

"Move them into the respective bedrooms. We're building a pyre tonight,"

Izzy moved as if in a dream through her steps. They shifted the bodies, soaked them in petrol, turned all the gas on. As they ran, Aislinn tossed in a match. The bodies exploded in flame.

Izzy dove out of the window. This time she wasn't so lucky in her landing. Her shoulder crunched against the concrete with jarring force and she yelped.

"Shut up!" Finley hissed, pulling her to her feet. They took off running, Izzy gasping because of the pain as the house exploded behind them.

* * *

_So we got back safe. We pretty much ran all the way back to Tennessee. It's lucky we're off the grid, and also that we have enough simple magic to keep it that way. As soon as we got home ans showered, Mum went out on patrol and Finley and I crashed into bed. I wanted to just sleep forever. I felt kind of guilty, I guess, although I don't know why. I guess I just really want to take Sophie up on her offer?_

_I haven't spoken to Torin in awhile. I feel guilty about killing that vampire. I am such a pathetic excuse for a Brannick, I really am_.


	6. Chapter 6

I was going to do a little bit more with this, but I've been hoarding away the majority of it for too long, so I figured I'd just chuck it out into cyberspace. Hopefully the delay between this chapter and the next won't be as long :3

* * *

**Chapter Six - O**

"Isolde!" Whoever the hell was yelling had better shut up before they were murdered. Izzy groaned and rolled over, shoving her face deeper into her soft pillow. So warm...

"Isolde!" The yelling had reached new heights.

"All right, all right!" Izzy yelled, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes with the back of her left hand. "I'm awake! What do you want?"

Aislinn was frowning down at her.

"You need to go out on patrol,"

"Ugh," Izzy rolled her eyes and sighed, but her feet had already swung their way out of bed and already she was pulling her hair into a messy ponytail. "What time is it?" she called after Aislinn'a retreating form.

"Late enough!" she shot back.

"Well you're no help," Izzy murmured as the rest of her body followed her feet out of bed. Judging from the sun that she could dimly see out of the window, if was about mid-afternoon.

Izzy didn't really think as she got dressed - she just grabbed a pain of trackpants and a hoodie out of her drawers and shoved them on haphazardly. She hadn't showered since she'd returned from Oklahoma. She didn't even want to imagine what she smelt like.

'Most likely an unfortunate combination of blood, dirt, backwater and sweat' she thought to herself as she headed downstairs. Finley didn't seem to be around anywhere. Izzy didn't spend too long worrying about her sisters whereabouts. Instead, she grabbed a small dart gun and a knife, and tucked them into her belt before heading out into the weak sunlight. As usual, the empty camp gave her the chills. Absentmindedly she gazed over at the rope course. She made a conscious decision to go and train there later that afternoon. Izzy tuned out as she ghosted through the forest.

She was thinking about the nest raid.

It had gone better than it could have, in a sense. Yes, vampires had died, but none of her family member had been hurt/killed. Although really, would she have minded if they had?

Izzy was disrupted from her reverie by the sound of a twig snapping behind her. Instantly she was on red alert. She whipped around, drawing the knife fluidly from her belt as she did so. She stood poised with her muscles clenched and knife in hand.

"Um..." a very familiar voice said. Izzy relaxed slightly.

"Sophie?"

"Hi," Sophie emerged from behind a tree. She looked smooth and un-rumpled and altogether much better than Izzy did at that point. "I've been waiting for you for hours, where have you been?"

"Sleeping," Izzy said sourly. "I'm sure you heard about the raid last night?"

"Yeah," Sophie looked very uncomfortable. "I wanted to talk to you about that..." Izzy held up both hands, knife balanced thumb and middle finger.

"Save it, Soph. I get it. Just let it be known that I was forced to go along with it," she turned away, twirling the knife dramatically between her fingers before tucking it away back into her belt. She tried to repress the burning sensation behind her eyes.

"I don't doubt it," Sophie said dryly. "Torin kind of told me everything,"

"Torin?" Izzy whipped back around again. "How in the -"

"Remember that time at Hex Hall when I dragged him into my mirror?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, turns out he's kind of connected with that mirror too. I just, uh, brought him across and we had a chat," a look of annoyance flashed across her face. "Honestly, Izzy, no offence, but how do you stand him?"

"You think he's a bit of a dipshit?" Izzy laughed sarcastically.

"I don't think - I know,"

"Well, honestly, I kind of like it. It's refreshing. He's honest. And he's not so bad with me. He's really nice sometimes,"

"Whatever," Sophie waved her hand dismissively. "I had to come and talk to you. I thought, once I brought Torin back through, that I was beginning to get an idea of how to free him completely,"

"Really?" Izzy's response was sharp.

"Well," Sophie grimaced. "Kinda. The library at Thorne would have been the most reliable source of information for that, but it was destroyed awhile back,"

"Well fuck," Izzy said in all seriousness.

"I know right? But still," Sophie offered up a wry smile. "I'm working at it. Just, for now, do what your mum says,"

"I...ugh, okay." Izzy stood still and watched as Sophie ambled away into the undergrowth, back to where the boundary was.

Izzy would have given anything to follow her.

We're lying low for a week. Mum's already started planning our next raid, I think. It's just like the old days. It's just like the last few years haven't happened at all. It's like one of our own never became head of The Council. Except of course she did and our lives are royally fucked up. I wonder how I survived the monotony of the first 17 years of my life, I really do. Fight, train, plan, fight, train. I lived for the adrenalin, but it's over rated. It really is. Spring is drawing to a close and the humidity is setting in. It's evening right now. It's still light but there's a hint of sunset on the horizon. I'm going to go inside soon and talk to Torin. I guess whenever I feel like shit, I just have to consider him. His life must be so much more boring than mine. I had some time to sit down and read yesterday. I read one of those random old books I've had lying around forever that aren't that good but that I've still read about a hundred times. It's about this completely ordinary girl who makes a lot of awkward jokes and falls over a lot. Nothing like me at all really and yet...I still wish I was her. She's ordinary. She goes to school, she has an after school job (for the first chapter of the book, at least). She has to decide between two guys to ensure her future happiness for the next three months. I wish I could live in a world like hers, where 'important decisions' aren't really that important at all. The decisions I make are more often than not the choice between life and death. At least if I was ordinary, I could do whatever the fuck I want.

Izzy had been thinking a lot about her brief encounter with Sophie. It had been nice of her to keep Izzy updated, but restlessly she wanted more information. Information that Sophie didn't have. Izzy just wanted to free Torin and escape to a life where she would actually be doing something useful. For the next few weeks, Izzy prowled restlessly, reading books for a few hours only to toss them aside, bored and irritated. She would patrol, train, make tense conversation with her family and help them to plan the next mission. She would talk to Torin about everything except the next mission.

The next mission had been almost 100% planned and was due to be set into action in a weeks time when Izzy was back on patrol alone.

"Izzy!" This time, Sophie didn't try creeping about. Izzy turned around sharply. Sophie was standing a few feet away, right against the boundary.

"Sophie..." Izzy let her sentence trail away.

"Look, I need your help," Sophie bit her lip and walked closer to where Izzy was standing. Izzy notice the big dark circles under her eyes.

"What's up?" Izzy asked guardedly.

"The rest of the Council is heaping on the pressure to stop the rest of y'all from wreaking havoc and killing more Prodigium," Sophie sighed, tugging at a strand of hair that had frizzed free of her ponytail. "I've been doing a lot of research, but I need your help,"

"How can I help you?" Izzy asked blandly. "I'm stuck here,"

"You can come with me. Just for an hour?" Sophie pleaded.

Izzy glanced around her, as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"Fine, okay, fine," she agreed after a long tremulous moment. She threw her hands into the air with abandon. "Fine, I'll come with you. But it must be quick!"

"Okay, good," without warning, Sophie grabbed Izzy's wrist and set off running.

Sophie was not a born runner, and Izzy could have overtaken her in seconds, but she kept her pace moderate. Sophie thrust her hand out in front of them as they ran, and the air wobbled and rippled as though it were the surface of a pond that had just had a rock thrown into it. As soon as they had passed through the ripples, Sophie stopped running. Izzy, not expecting to stop suddenly, kept going. Her momentum tugged on Sophie, who toppled over dramatically, arms flailing. The force of her fall sent Izzy sprawling too.

"Oof!" she gasped as she hit the ground. Sophie was lying half on top of her.

"Ow." Sophie mumbled.

"I agree. Now please get of me before I die!" Izzy gasped. Her knees and palms were stinging/

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Yes!"

"Okay." Sophie heaved herself backwards and sat awkwardly, inspecting her palms. Izzy pushed herself upright, too. It seemed she had sustained most of the damage. Her knees were leaking blood, and the skin on her palms was rough.

"Sorry about that," Sophie said as she clambered to her feet and brushed herself off. "I am totally in control of my feet."

"Yeah, same," Izzy, too, clambered to her feet and brushed at the leaf mold and dirt that was clinging to her. "Are we going to the Itineris?"

"Yup," Sophie reached for Izzy's hand again, and then pulled back. "Maybe we should just, you know. Walk."

"Walking is too slow!" Izzy exclaimed. This time it was she who took hold of Sophie's wrist, and took off running in the direction she knew the Itineris to lie. They arrived in less than ten minutes. Izzy and Sophie stopped again, bending double to suck air into their lungs.

"Where exactly are we headed?" Izzy asked once her breathing was back under control.

"Savannah. There's a small library there."

"Okay." Izzy just nodded, and let Sophie pull her into the Intineris.

* * *

** Whip-Owl:** I'm glad you like it. And yeah I never really thought of it as being 'darker', but I suppose it is, isn't it?

** yay**: Mmn. I think you're right.

** wildcatsgirl:** Thank you :D


	7. AN

Okay sorry guys, I give up & am discontinuing this fic.

I sort of ran out of motivation and I never had a very firm idea of character anyway so yeah.


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